A Rogue's Story
by Silent's Screams
Summary: A prophecy of a rogue Clan has come throughout the loner, rogue, and kittypet world. 'The ones who seek help will follow the first they see,' the storm boomed over all of the cats of the outdoors. Jamie, a lost kit, finds her way to three mysterious cats who teach her and rename her. Now, she is under their control and becomes a huge threat to the lake Clans...
1. Prologe: A Storm

**Prologue **

The black clouds above the rogues, loners, and kittypets swirl into everlasting circles. Whispers cross the dead, burning leaves and the form of a black cat appears in the dark sky. The voice speaks quickly and quietly, not able to be heard by any of the fearful cats below. The sky roars with angry thunder and then the black cat begins to send an echoing hiss through the ears of the rogues. One growls and hides beneath the dead leaves, covered with bones and gets up right away once he sees the bones on his shoulders. Obviously, from his black collar, he is a kittypet.

A pale brown and white she-cat shudders and pushes close to the nearest, dead tree stump. Her weak old bones barely ever support her, and now, she feels completely powerless against this power above her. Leaves begin to move out of the way and bones and crimson rivers of blood begin to show and the she-cat screeches in shock. Above all of them, the black cat chuckles sinisterly and roars powerfully, "None of you will be able to fight my powers! The rogues of the wolves are coming..." Howls of dangerous cats echo through the wind and a claw sound scrapes against all the sky. Blood falls like rain from the black clouds and the cat hisses, "Do not be afraid... You might live, since they are to be made of you."

"We are old! How will we do such a thing?" a dark brown tabby tom yells from below. His pelt is ragged and he stands firmly on the ground, not scared one bit. "My mate and I would never do such a thing."

"Your children would," the black tom announces evilly. He claws the tom's throat and hisses through gritted teeth, "Don't ever expect to be what you think you are. One white she-cat will attempt to bring the others to her side; therefore, they will be too intelligent to fall for such trickery and fake innocence. For I am Shadowed Woods, guardian and leader of the Shadowed Woods. The cats will prosper forever, and overrun you and that stupid ForestClan!"

"What if we treated them better than ever?" his mate challenges boldly.

"They will come somehow!" Shadowed Woods spits in her face, clawing her muzzle sharply. He strides back to the thundering clouds with blood rain and laughs evilly. "Don't ever expect to find a way to singe your way out of the desperate calls of time. You must learn to live with this, because it _will _last for the days and moons to come." Disappearing into the woods, Shadowed Woods is gone and the cats go back to the normal world.


	2. Chapter One: Shadows of Light

**Chapter One **

Jamie innocently stared around the big forest, her eyes wide with wonder and fear. She hazed up as some flying creature flew across the trees, landing on another lone branch that was ahead of it. Jamie flattened her ears and backed away from the bird, trying not to scamper right away. Her stomach growled and she winced when it did so. A piercing pain came to her throat and stomach, which gave her the thought, _I'm hungry._ So, she looked to the bird and tried to climb the tree; however, Jamie's attempt made the bird fly away in fear. So, the kit just plopped to the ground and grumbled.

While she went out to look for something to eat, Jamie remembered the fearful, yet lonesome, face on the she-cat that drew her out. Jamie remembered how sad and lonely it looked; however, the fear and anger scarred her. Jamie pushed away the thought and kept padding through the forest. However, she was going so fast, that padding just made her hungrier. So, she fell to the ground in the nearest stream.

The water soared passed her, and she moved to it to lap some. When she did, a tremble of the leaves sounded behind her. Beady eyes looked into hers and she scampered up to the sandy shore of the stream. She tried not to squeal; however, she did when a giant black and white beast popped out of the bushes and stared at her with hungry, little, black eyes. It had a pointed nose, and Jamie, for some reason, had an idea of what it was. _A badger?_ she assumed, smelling a horrible stench from the huge animal that crawled up to eat her. She screeched and swiped an angry blow at the badger and ran off. Luckily, her lean body gave her an advantage to the bulging body of the badger.

Jamie was getting to tired to outrun the monster, so she was slowing down and the badger gained on her. _Is it over? Is this the only time I've lived? _she thought, tears flying into her orange eyes. She looked at the badger, confronting it through her closed eyes. Then, she heard a wail from three other cats. She opened one eye to see a huge, and I mean huge, black tom that knocked over the badger with muscles that were easy to do anything with. He had long claws and a face with red eyes that Jamie would never forget. Beside the tom, a black and white she-cat with green eyes and a fox-like she-cat fought the badger with him.

When the beast finally fell to the floor and gave a last twitch, the large tom turned to Jamie and gave a charming smirk. "What's your name?" he wondered, his tail flicking with interest at the she-cat. When Jamie didn't answer, he went on, "I'm Shadow. And this is Badger and Fox." The two she-cats bowed their heads uneasily and walked to the badger and sniffed it.

"I'm J-Jamie," she stuttered, stumbling over her own paws when she was sitting down. "Sorry, if I- er- got you into any trouble back there." She looked at him and shuffled her paws with an awkward peek up at Shadow and back down to her shaggy white fur. She gave her chest a couple embarrassed licks and began to pad her way out of the way. "I'll go now. I need to find some food..." Her stomach gave an awful groan and she flinched because of that. Since her eyes were closed in humiliation, she didn't get to see Shadow's expression.

"Well, I can teach you how to hunt, you know," Shadow's footsteps sounded closer. Jamie opened her eyes to him being right there. He tipped his head to one side and asked, "How old are you, anyways, Jamie?"

"Er- about two moons?"

"And you don't know how to hunt? Where did you come from? How come no one has taught you how to hunt?" Shadow's eyes were serious, but compassionate to Jamie's rough story.

"I lived off of crowfood," Jamie scraped the ground with her puny claws, compared to his. "I came from some she-cat in a den, that drove me away as soon as I was able to see her. I don't know _why, _but she did."

"Wow," Fox looked at Jamie with sympathetic eyes. "So you're alone?"

"Yes."

"Wanna come live as rogues with us?" Shadow lifted his tail from its drooping point. "We'd love to share dens with you and travel along the world of forests. Well, at least I would. What about you guys?" He looked to his sisters, tail flicking as if communicating through that. He looked serious, but his eyes traveled around, as if in some sort of code.

"Whatever," Badger shrugged and picked up the dead badger with Fox.

"I guess I'm fine with it," the other she-cat helped her, by pulling the feet of the badger. She looked to Shadow and commented, "You should teach her now. She's starving!" Then, they carried the badger to the nearest den and put it there.

"Okay, let's go," Shadow twitched his tail and flicked his ears. Jamie followed him into the forest and felt less awkward than with Badger and Fox. She roamed around, her bones and muscles weak with hunger. She trembled; therefore, tried not to show her weakness. Shadow looked somewhere and held his paw up to tell her to stop walked. Then, he pointed his long claw at the bushes, where the leaves swished from side-to-side. He slowly stalked towards the bushes and whispered, "Watch closely, Jamie." When the mouse ran out of cover, Shadow pounced on it and gave it a quick bite with his teeth.

Jamie found herself purring, and tried to hold it inside her. Therefore, it was so good, that she couldn't! Listening with her ears, she went around the forest to hear any prey seeking food for themselves. When she heard scuffling nearby, Jamie went to it and found a vole picking its ears on a rock. She slowly approached it and accidentally stepped on a twig on the way. She cursed and the vole heard her. The vole ran away, but not for cover. He just ran; so, this gave Jamie an opportunity to show off her lean body and chase after it. Quickly, Jamie darted off to the vole and pounced on it, missing it by a fox-tail. Jamie cursed again and continued her chase for the vole. Finally, she pounced on it and got a swift kill. She loved the taste of fresh blood and purred at her first kill.

"Well done!" Shadow called from his spot. "Come back here so we can go back to Fox and Badger! I'm sure they will be as shocked as rabbits when they see your fresh-kill." Jamie could tell that he meant every word, since his eyes gleamed with pride as she padded up to him with swift strides and steps. He asked her, "Where do you get your running skills? They're great!"

"I-I guess I just know how to run," Jamie stuttered, blushing a little. She padded up to his sisters and showed off her vole. She actually found herself... purring to the faces of the she-cats. Jamie explained, "It was my first attempt, and I chased it, and got it!" Her orange eyes shone as she looked up at the she-cats' shocked faces.

"First attempt kill?" Badger's jaw opened, exposing her long fangs. "Wow, Jamie. Nice catch." Part of it was a boring tone; therefore, Jamie didn't care, because it was something she was proud of. She wasn't looking for _Badger or Fox's _approval, but her own. Badger grunted as she tripped on a twig and angrily snatches it with her long claws. "This is why I ate nature! There are twigs laying around, just to trip you! ON PURPOSE!" Badger ripped the twig and threw it off with her claw, making it fly into the forest without a question.

"Aren't you guys proud of Jamie?" Shadow wondered, standing next to Jamie with pride swelling in his eyes. The two she-cats looked over in irritation, continuing their work. Shadow rolled his eyes and murmured to me, "Don't listen to them, Jamie. Think about what I said, compared to their nasty comments. Their she-cats, they always have those type of attitudes to other she-cats. Wanna walk?"

"But will they know where we are?" Jamie tipped her head to one side.

"We always meet up at the den before sundown," Shadow quoted. "If we don't, we wait until the sun goes down, and if they aren't coming back, we go out to see if they are okay." Jamie looked at him and nodded. Then, they headed out and Shadow was the first to start the stroll in the forest. His muscles were flexed, and were flexing on purpose. Also, he wasn't only the first to walk, but also the first to start the conversation with Jamie. "So, some she-cat drove you out of a den? Why would she do that? Who was she?"

"I dunno," Jamie sighed, slowing her pace. "She had the same scent as the she-cat that fed me when my eyes were closed; however, I really don't know who she was and I can never assume." Shadow dipped his head in agreement and his eyes pleaded Jamie to go on. So, she did, "If she was my mother, what I don't get, is why she would drive me out without telling me or at the least, not telling me how to hunt. If she wanted me to live on my own, then why not teach me first? Without just throwing me out with a hesitation."

"Hmm," Shadow's voice was thoughtful. He asked, "Have you ever thought on going back?"

"No," Jamie flattened her ears. "If she wanted me out, then fine. She'll get that. I don't wanna take any risks or cause any trouble. Also, whatever she is doing, might not be what _I _wanna do, so I'm just gonna leave it at that, so no one gets hurt or has any troubles."

"Smart. I would probably do the same." Shadow looked out to the sun and closed his eyes. "Sometimes, I wonder if my mom ever remembers me, too. She didn't drive me out; therefore, was strict to my sisters and me. We hated her and left her as soon as we learned to hunt. Then, we made up our own strategy on self defense and great battle moves. See? We don't need mothers."

"Well, at first we do," Jamie muttered. "I know I did."

"Yeah, but you learned, right? You'll always catch up with someone."

"But I almost died! Did you see that badger trying to rip my skin off? I was just running, and I gave up too quickly. I needed the encouragement of my mother, but of course, she wasn't there for me. I guess I'm just bad luck or REALLY need to stick with my mom." Jamie's tail flicked and a tear fell down her white, shaggy cheek. Her eyes felt swollen; therefore, she didn't allow any more tears to join the party.

"Look," Shadow sat with his pelt close to hers, "everyone needs their mother at first. You just got unfortunate _once_. Also, that badger you saw today? Remember him? Well, every cat, except for kittypets, at least run into a badger once in their life. So, you just got it early on! You aren't bad luck, Jamie. See, you found us! We saved you, and that is REALLY good luck." His mew ended in a purr and he licked her cheek real quick, before coming back up to say more. "I'm telling you, bad luck, is just a myth. Come on, let's get back to the Den before sundown."

"Okay," Jamie murmured and followed him back. She padded by his side, trying not to lose the rhythm of his movement and pelt. When they got to an alleyway, she smelled a horrible stench and saw a giant green box in front of her. She hissed, "What? What is that stench?!"

"Don't worry, Jamie," Shadow purred and put his tail on her shoulder. "It won't last long. Trust me, you'll get used to it real easily." He started padding _TOWARDS _the box and he went under it. His tail invited her in and she shrugged, following him.

Under it, the smell wasn't that bad and she got used to it real easily. She turned her head to see Fox and Badger arguing and Shadow getting a nest ready for Jamie. He showed her the moss and invited her over, "Hey, how 'bout you come real close to my nest? We can, you know, sleep close. Why? Because it gets REALLY cold at night!" His mew ended in a kind purr.

Jamie came over without a hesitation or word. She rested in her nest, glad her muscles could finally sleep without any worry of any killer on the loose. She fell right asleep, feeling Shadow's soft pelt as he got close to her. _What a night,_ she thought, just before she faded into some mysterious dream, that brought her to mysterious places, showing her mysterious wonders, leaving her in a mystery.


	3. Chapter Two: ShadowClan?

**Chapter Two **

Shadow led Jamie across the forest, Fox and Badger at their haunches. Finally, they reached an open clearing with really soft ground. It was great, because Jamie could practice battle moves with her new companions. She looked at Shadow, who was padding to the middle of the clearing. Like a leader of a group, he stood on a rock that centered in the middle of the soft, flat ground. He yowled out to the cats below, which were only the cats he'd been traveling with, Jamie, Fox, and Badger. He declared, "Today, I declare Jamie to practice training with me. Badger and Fox will go off and battle each other."

"But I go Fox last time!" Badger complained, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. Then, Shadow gave her a threatening look and she rolled her eyes and walked off to the other side of the clearing. Jamie watched Badger and Fox argue, looking at Badger with concentration. "Attack!" Badger called out and jumped on Fox with a mighty leap of her legs. She knocked over Fox, and the dark ginger she-cat hissed in pain. She unsheathed her claws and raked it into Badger's flank, tearing it down the pelt with a long stride of blood following in. Badger wailed and kicked Fox off of her, growling in irritation as Fox easily gave another blow to the muzzle. Then, Badger, since the she was bigger than Fox, easily pounded the she-cat with her front paws.

"Nice comeback, Badger," Shadow praised his sister and padded up to Jamie. His expression grew soft and he meowed, "We'll fight with our claws sheathed, _for now_. Now, let's get working on your defense. That is always the first strategy to practice for when you're a rogue, okay?" He got into a crouch and leaped on Jamie. She hissed and fell to the floor when he plopped on top of her.

"Hey! Get off me!" Jamie crawled her way out of the trap Shadow made for her. She narrowed her eyes and padded to him. _I guess the game has already started_, she thought, her ears twitching in delight. _I'm faster than him, so I need to dodge my way out and knock him down, while he's stunned_. He threw a blow at her face, and Jamie moved to the side. It didn't stun him; therefore, he was a bit shaky. Then, he tried to rake her muzzle, but she was to fast and got to his first. He yowled and brought out his claws. Jamie gasped, "I thought this was a sheathed game!"

Fox and Badger watched on the sidelines, snickering to themselves as they saw the two fighting. Jamie heard Badger call out from her area, "You need to learn how to _actually _fight, kittypet! Don't ever trust a cat when they tell your that it's a 'sheathed' game! Pretend this is a life-threatening battle that is about to take your life!" Jamie nodded and overheard Badger mutter, "I wish it took her life."

Angry, Jamie knew she had to prove Badger that she could fight, instead of just dodging and screeching. Jamie was young, but knew that battle could not be won without a fight. So, she let herself dodge one last blow and went in for the fight. She jumped on Shadow's head, bringing him down to kiss the ground. She smirked and went on, batting his head with her small paws. Since a moon has passed, Jamie has grown stronger; however, she is very small for her age and doesn't really have the strength and large, bulging muscles like Shadow.

He rounded up on her, spitting in rage and anger. He slapped her head and she fell back, acting limp. He pinned her down, making her struggle, kick, and squirm like a worm. He smirked in delight and Jamie didn't know what to do next. So, she used her instincts by acting limp, making him loosen his grip. Now, it was easy. Jamie kicked his stomach, making his belly exposed. She showed off her claws and scratched his exposed belly fur. Finally, Shadow shouted, "Enough!"

Jamie panted, looking for the shattered expression on Badger's face. The black and white she-cat did have an odd expression on, clearly stunned that Jamie could beat Shadow in a practice battle. Then, Shadow looked at Jamie to Badger and smirked, "Well done, Jamie. I've never seen a cat like you. You should fight me when I am trying my best." He flexed his muscles and padded over to Fox and Badger. He whispered something; however, Jamie could not hear his talk. It made her nervous, and she clawed the dirt below her and shuddered.

_What if he's getting rid of me? _she thought, shivering from the hard leaf-bare. She looked up to the trees and begged to them, even though they would never help or reply. _Please have him let me stay! I still need his help... I need _him_. I will _follow _him if I have to..._ She looked at Shadow and her tail twitched when he came back over to her. Badger and Fox came too, their faces dull and expressionless.

"We found a badger den near our den and want to fight it off," Fox twitched her ears and flicked her tail to where the direction of their den was. She went on and explained her "idea" to Jamie, "If you really fought off Shadow on easy mode, we assume you can fight a badger. If you kill it, we'll let you stay. If it runs off, we'll think about it. If you _die _or get seriously wounded, all of what you did with us, is over." Her amber eyes didn't give anything away, and that is what Fox was good at. Her lying eyes.

"Deal," Jamie had to accept, or she'd be thrown away like crowfood. She looked at them and hunched over, "When do I start?"

"Tonight, at moonhigh," Badger stood on the rock next to her brother, Shadow. She looked hungry and vicious; therefore, that was her usual expression. She looked at Jamie with eyes that could not be forgotten and mewed on, "The badger usually comes out to hunt at night. When he does, you'll be able to track him down and take him out." She padded down to Fox and they began to pad out. Badger asked Shadow just before they entered the trees, "Can we go out to hunt? I'm really hungry and need some food."

"Go ahead," Shadow dipped his head to his sisters and looked at Jamie. He didn't look shocked, nor did he look like it was normal for Jamie to accept something like this. He meowed, "You are brave, Jamie, but I assume that you over-think yourself sometimes."

"Never!" Jamie found herself hissing. "I really want to prove my loyalty! You can trust me with your life, Shadow."

"Your life?" Shadow hunched over and looked at his large paws. "Well, I'm pretty sure I won't need that help anytime soon. Well, anyways, we should get hunting so we aren't behind on feeding ourselves. I bet you don't wanna starve, do you?" Jamie shook her head furiously. "Good, because if you wanna fight, it is best if we go hunting and feed you your last meal."

Jamie heard the words over and over. She felt like he was just repeating them without moving his mouth; however, it was just like a bad dream. Something she could not get out of her head, and wanted it out. Shadow left and Jamie didn't bother to go with him. She went the opposite way, heading out to the lake area of the forest. She heard something and smelled the pines. She passed a very pine-like stench and came inside the line. _Did someone literally spray this with their scent? _she thought in irritation, spitting at the horrid stench.

She smelled other cats when she passed and wriggled her nose as she scented them. A _lot _of them. Quickly, she hid beneath the bushes and peeked out of them to see a black tom poking his head around the area. He was with a white and black tom and a gray tabby she-cat, who looked really young. He meowed, "I smell some rogue nearby... I wonder what they could be doing on ShadowClan territory."

ShadowClan? Territory? What _type _of cats would claim this territory theirs? Jamie listened, and perked her ears to hear them coming closer to her. She hid in the shadows of the bush, hoping that her white pelt wouldn't give anything away.

The black and white tom spat, "Oh StarClan, Ratstep, you are really weird! Rogues don't _have _any territory, and are a threat to us. What do you think they are doing, Ratstep?" He came towards the bush and sniffed it, "Holy StarClan! It smells like rat odor! I can't help but think that rats are gonna come and kill us, because I smell it everywhere."

"Maybe it's the rogue, Rockfall," the she-cat insisted. "I think they believe that this is their territory, and not our own."

"Silverstripe's right!" Ratstep flattened his ears and flashed an imaginary claw out. "We should show these rogues that this is _not _their territory!" He looked into the bush and crawled towards it. Jamie heard him mumble, "Get ready, rogue, to face your _doom!_" He bounced into the bushes and Jamie screeched in anger and slapped the tom in the face. He fell backwards, right into Silverstripe and Rockfall. He hissed and scrambled back up to get Jamie back with his sharp claws and fangs. He came to her and unsheathed his claws, trying to rake Jamie's nose.

Luckily, the she-cat was _way too _fast for his pathetic strikes. She dodged him easily, and tipped him over with the push of her paw. He fell back and squirmed in the thorn bush. He cursed, "Fox dung! ShadowClan, attack!"

Now, Jamie was against three other cats that fought like well-designed cats. Luckily, she fought with Shadow, who is like FIVE really well-trained cats. She hissed and whacked the toms in the head, giving her a chance to pin the she-cat down. Silverstripe hissed, but didn't fight back. She had an herb smell, and seemed very weak, compared to the two toms that were fighting Jamie on the other hand. From behind, Ratstep yowled in anger, "Rockfall, get more warriors! Silverstripe, avoid the killing bite!" He launched at Jamie, knocking her over. "Get off our medicine cat!" he spat in Jamie's ear.

"Medicine cat?! Territory?! You have as much right to this land as I do!" Jamie protested, slicing her claws over the tom's eye. He fell back and covered his eye with his paw. A yowl echoed through the pines and Jamie stood back to keep herself away from dangerous bites and claws. "Get outta here, or I'll send-" she thought and had a threatening idea, "Or I'll send my army of rogues after you!"

"Sure you have an 'army' of rogues with you!" Ratstep spat. "I'd like to see you try."

Then, Jamie retreated away from the "ShadowClan" territory and came back to the den, where Fox and Badger paced around, talking about the prey and some new battle strategies they made up. When Jamie burst into the den, they both looked over and gave confused faces to Jamie. "Are you okay?" Fox stood aback.

Jamie panted the breaths she could and spoke through long strides of stuttered breathing, "I-I ran into other cats. They weren't rogues, kittypets, or even loners! They claimed to be in ShadowClan's territory and stuff, which makes me wonder, what if they find us? They had great fighting skills, of course, not as good as ours, but it would be hard to fight a whole Clan of them! Wouldn't you think?"

"I agree," Badger dipped her head.

"But how are we going-"

"To fight them?" Shadow appeared in the den and his face was expressionless; therefore, a hint of hunger gleamed in his red eyes. "I assume we should get a ton of rogues together. And I mean, _a lot_. No kittypets, no loners, and no grace. We train them until they are fully bad to the bone. It could be called, the Wolf-Pack, and I can be their leader." His eyes were serious and tempting, making Jamie feel uncomfortable, but very prepared for any promotion. He turned around and purred as Badger dipped her head to him. "I will be the best leader, ever."

"I bet!" Jamie blurted out. "Sorry..." She dipped her head, but was praised.

"Why, she would be the best co-leader I could ask for!" Shadow exclaimed, his tail wagging. "We'll discuss it tomorrow." He got into his nest and rested on the moss in a comfortable position. Jamie watched him and he gave one last phrase, "And Jamie, your new name is Bone. Got that?"

Bone looked at him and nodded slowly, "Yes, Shadow." Then, she padded to her lonesome nest and sighed slowly. Jamie was a better name than Bone... But she had to accept it to make it into his so called "Wolf-Pack". She gave one last look at her companions and circled into her nest quietly. She got ready and licked herself before she fell asleep in her nest. Slowly, she closed her eyes and made sure she was safe while doing so. Then, the dreams took her away, into sleep...


	4. Chapter Three: Wolf-Pack

**Chapter Three  
**

Bone got up in the morning and stretched out her paws and legs. She looked over where Fox and Badger slept, seeing them snoring loudly. Purring slightly, Bone padded to the nearest dirtplace and took a dirt quickly. Then, she went out to hunt, just so she could give Shadow, Badger, and Fox time to wake up so they could be able to discuss this "Wolf-Pack" thing they were thinking about doing last night and today. After hunting, Bone padded back to the Den and placed her her mouse and squirrel in the fresh-kill pile. Her stomach growled and she dared to take the first bite of the squirrel. She ate it easily and saw Shadow looking at her. She shuddered slightly and asked bitterly, "What?"

"Nothing," Shadow smirked slightly and stared at her. His narrowed eyes are concentrated and he watched Bone eat with interest. Then, he sighed and padded to her. "What do you think of this Wolf-Pack idea? I think it is good, because something inside of me makes me feel... feel so ready and determined. It's telling me what to do with myself and how to live my life. Even though it's demanding... I-I want to follow it's rules." Bone had never heard his voice so gentle... ever. She looked at him and tilted her head to the side as he looked back at her with concerned, red eyes.

"I think you should follow whatever _your _heart is telling you to do," Bone put her tail tip on his shoulder and watched his every movement as he ate right next to her. This moment felt... felt like everything she wanted to feel. She mewed, "I just believe that your heart is the true path to your destination and goals in life. I want you to know that and think it through a little bit. Maybe you'll understand where I-"

"I know!" Shadow nearly hissed into her face, clawing the ground. Obviously, from what she saw, he was taking this really seriously and it was important to him to figure out the answer. He clawed the ground, panting heavily. Then, he grabbed a piece of moss and nearly roared aloud, clawing and biting at it desperately, almost like he was killing someone he really hated. He growled at the moss and threw it across the den angrily. Hissing, he spat, "I want to follow this voice, since I can never hear my own heart speak!"

"Maybe it is your heart," Bone softly meowed to him. She gently put her paw on top of his and he looked at her in confusion; therefore, the same feeling she was feeling surges through his blood-red eyes. Bone whispered to him, "It may seem violent, but you have to allow it to take you on top of the world. I know it will be worth it, Shadow. I've done it before!"

Understanding, Shadow nodded his head and smiled back at Bone. "Thank you, Bone. I've never felt the same. Now, let's get working on the Wolf-Pack thing I was planning." Bone dipped her head at him, obviously gesturing him to go on about what his thoughts were about it. Shadow sighed, "Now, I was thinking last night about it... a lot. I mean, like it was the only thing on my mind until I fell asleep. Anyways, I was thinking about gathering up a ton of followers, that are about the same age as us. Also, if we train them, everything will be okay with us, right? So, we need to train ourselves to be able to train others and even do what we will train them to do."

"I'm liking this idea so far, and I've barely heard any of it," Fox padded over to the two and got between them by resting herself on the ground in front of them both. She mewed, "We might even find ourselves being like a Clan while we're at it. Though, we won't have any picky, annoying rules, or else our members might leave, since we might have so much. Maybe only one or two will help. Like follow your leaders, maybe?"

"I like it," Shadow nodded his head and so did Bone and Badger. "Then, they will learn the hard way if they don't. We'll basically shred them into pieces if they don't follow that rule. We'll hunt them down and kill them if they leave, or even attempt an escape. But, we won't mention any of that until they are fully loyal and ready for punishment. We will just harshly punish them to follow us. Got that?" Everyone nodded. He went on, "We also still have to have some other rules. See a Clan cat, no mercy. Kill or scare off. Make sure they never get onto our territory. Since we have strong noses, we will scent a lie and a Clan cat scent on them if they give mercy easily."

"Smart," Bone admitted, looking at her paws. "Now, I think we should sort things out. You know how those Clans have apprentices separated by warriors? Well, yeah. We can separate them out like that, if kits are ever in the Clan. Also, we need a training plan for the kits when they come."

"Obviously we train them when they get the use of their legs! With unsheathed claws!" Shadow viciously stated, cracking his claws. "When they don't have any eyes, they will feed up on all they can and hear how everything works by their trainers. They will be called 'almost's' and will train with their 'trainers', which are the most vicious and trustworthy cats in Wolf-Pack. Instead of warriors, we call them 'wolves' and instead of deputy," he looked at Bone, "we will call you 'co-leader'. Badger and Fox will be the first two wolves of the pack."

Fox and Badger smirked sinisterly and viciousness appeared in their almost-red eyes. Badger mewed, "How come one of us aren't co-leaders? We are more powerful than a ton of foxes combined!"

"Get outta the forest! You suck!" Shadow hissed. "Bone's got skill! She's almost as good as me."

"She's younger than us!" Fox whined angrily. "You are so stubborn sometimes." She lashed her tail playfully and continued to listen to his lecturing ideas.

Ignoring her and Badger's comments, Shadow went on with an irritated, neutral sigh, "Anyways, like I said, Badger and Fox are the first wolves of the pack. Bone, you are my co-leader, and I am my own leader. We will get some new cats to join right now. She-cats, follow me to the Twolegplace. The other day, I was hunting there and I found at least two powerful-looking alley cats."

"Alley cats?" Bone padded up to Shadow's side as he began to pad out into the forest, toward the nearest Twolegplace.

"They feast on Twoleg leftovers in these silver cans," Badger came between the two. She went on, "They are vicious creatures, but nothing like us."

"I met one the other day! He flirted his fur off with me!" Fox joked aloud, laughing loudly.

"SHUT UP!" Shadow hissed in irritation.

Quickly, he padded to the nearest Twoleg nest and walked into the alley near an apartment. He padded into the view of a pale brown box and peeked around the corner to see two toms feasting on some leftovers from Twolegs. The tom lifted his head and hissed aloud, "Get out from your hiding place, fool! We know where you are and we can take you on!" He padded closer to the box and snorted, "Hey! It's that red-eyed tom we saw yesterday, Dragon! What in the name of shadows do you think he is doing in the alley, again?" He sniffed again and hissed, "Wow! He brought other food... Sacrifices, Shadow?"

"No, Scar," Shadow padded into view, boldly standing in front of the toms. The toms were only a little bit smaller than him, and watched him in greed for meat and blood. Shadow sighed and mewed again, "No, they are my companions. We are looking for cats to join our Wolf-Pack. This is Fox, Badger, and Bone." Each time he said a cat's name, he pointed his tail at that cat. "Do you want to join and hear more about it? You'd be in the legends to pass on and kill every cat that gets in your way."

Dragon, who is the gray tabby tom beside Scar, swished his tail to the side and mewed slowly, "You are inviting us? Is this a trick?"

"Why would I want to hurt my old friends?" Shadow chuckled, smiling at them. _How can they trust this? _Bone thought to herself as she watched Shadow confront the toms, who were ragged and dirty.

"Then sure," Scar smiled and padded to Shadow. "We also have some other tough friends that might be interested."

"Good... good..." Shadow grinned. "Let's get started."


	5. Chapter Four: A Rethink

**Chapter Four  
**

Dragon woke Bone up with a sharp claw in her stomach. Bone's eyes flew open and she nearly clawed his face off. When she landed from her jump, her fur bristled and she mewed, "What in the name of the forest are you doing? I could've killed you just then and there!"

"I just wanted to tell you something," Dragon hissed, eyes growing dark. "Follow me. It's important." Quickly, he lashed his tail and sneaked out of the Den stealthily. Then, Bone followed him and found herself in a cave. She looked around and the cave was almost too dark to see through. She hissed in irritation and looked for the dark pelt of Dragon. Finally, she saw him and ran to him, her eyes adjusting to the darkness. Dragon leaned down and mewed, "Listen, Bone. Shadow is not a normal cat. He's after death and murder, and I wouldn't recommend trusting him with your life."

"Shadow is a great, powerful cat!" Bone protested, her fur on its end. "He wouldn't do anything to hurt me. If he did, he would do it to either save me, train me, or he was angry and will apologize. You can never stop me from trusting him!" Bone lashed her tail and stared at Dragon in shock. _Who can say such a thing? _she thought in anger and irritation. _He's just jealous! Toms! _ She rolled her eyes and walked away.

"Take this as a warning, Bone!" Dragon yelled back at her, eyes dull now.

After Bone got through the hole, she found herself in the den. Cats around her were now beginning to stir and Scar was already awake. He waved his ragged tail at her and mewed sinisterly, "Greetings, Bone. How was your sleep last night?"

"Fine," Bone snapped, stalking away.

When she exited around the other corner of the Den, she found herself staring above the pines ahead of her. On top of the pines, the sunrise light shined, seeming through the tips of each tree that confronted her. Pawsteps sounded behind her and by the smell, she could tell who it was. Shadow padded up to her and sat right against her flank. Without speaking, he held close to her and kept his place for a long time. Then, Bone spoke first, "Dragon doesn't trust you... He told me to stay away."

"Jealousy," Shadow's ear twitched. "Let the tom be. He'll learn to respect me, soon."

"I know he will, because I did," Bone nuzzled him, then Shadow pulled away slightly, then stopped. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Shadow pretended to yawn and got back on his paws. "We should go look for some more cats." Awkwardly, he turned away and padded back to the Den to get the others. Bone didn't follow, but just watched him. _What does he really think of me?_ she thought to herself, thinking of the possibilities.

* * *

After a long walk, Shadow stopped at a certain point near the Twolegplace. He looked over the white fence that guarded them from a nest. Then, he leaped up and stood at the top. Signalling the others to stand down, he continued to look over. After, he disappeared over the fence and mewing erupted from the other side of the white fence. Bone pressed her ear against the white blockage and closed her eyes to concentrate on the words. "Shadow?" a voice said through the white fence, near the nest. "That's an interesting name."

"I think it's cool!" another mewed, obviously deeply inspired by Shadow already. "My name's Fleck, and this is Dot. We'd love to join your pack! It's really boring here, so it'd be fun to go and check it out. We'll be as loyal as ever!"

Shadow let out a fake purr, and Bone scented a little bit of annoyance in it. "Welcome aboard, then."

Dot mewed, "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Sure it is! Shadow's awesome!" Fleck purred.

Shrugging, Dot began to pad to Shadow, along with his brother Fleck. Then, Shadow leaped over onto the white fence. Behind him, speckled toms appear and looked over at the group of cats. Fleck was the first to come down from the fence. He purred, "Hi, everyone! I'm Fleck. This is my brother Dot." He pointed his tail to the other tom happily. "We'd love to join your Pack. It sounds cool!"

"Glad you think that," Shadow padded over, Dot right behind him. He introduced the new cats to everyone and then stood next to Bone after. "We hope that we don't make you feel awkward in any way." After his words, Shadow's tail flicked oddly.

Speaking to his brother, Dot and Fleck chatted for a little. Then, they nodded back to Shadow, "We're ready."


End file.
